Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-06-15
THE NORMAL SCHOOL.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCIsEs AT TIE
FIRST AFRICAN CHURCH
LAST MIGHT.
Addresses by Governor Lee and Others
Diplomas Conferred and Medals
Awarded.

mcnd Normal School (colOredJ was held at
| tie First Baptist church Icooredl last night
at s. O'Clock. The exercises were com.
mCpted promptly by the principal, Dir. 5.
| 7. Beech. The audience-rOom and the
| galleries were filled TO Overlooking with an
| interested audience, good many OF whOn
w,re white people.
The pulpit. stand was occupied by Gov.
| ernOr Lee. members Of the board, Mr.. j.
| Taylor EllysOu. DR.. 5. =. Moore, NJ.
George Bryan, Mr.. Il. I. Briggs, Superin.
| iond,ndent John b. Cary, and Mr.. &. i.
Rady, clerk Of the board.
The graduates made very gratifying
appearance as they marched in to the STRAIN,
Of martial music.
WELCOME.
The address OF welcome by Annie f.
| Cough was very Credltably delivered and
| contained a great deal OF good advice.
! The essay, "a Good Name" by Annie
| +. Davis, was well written and delivered,
| and contained all the formula necessary to
secure a good name in the community.
| A selection, AK Mama," By Mary NJ.
| Mitchell, was an amusing parody on the
| life Of an old bachelor.
| Tennyson's "May Queen" by Julia
johnson, was feflngly rendered.
| "Behind the Clouds the sun will Inter
vene." by Maggie T.. Chiles, was an excel.
! lent essay.
The speech OF Sergeant Buzfuz, from
J Dckcnss "PIckwick Papers," was we'll
! spoken by George II. Fleming, aud amused
| tie audience very much.
J. Henry CTutch6eld delivered an orci.
| nal vale dictOry address in Il creditIblc m,n-
| ner.
DIR. HATCHER.
After duet by Alice Kemp and Mildred
/ Anderson Rev. DR.. William l.. lIitcier
made hliei address TO the graduates,
which was replete with words OF good al.
| vice.
" II was a great mistake" he said. 10,
| scholars to suppose that If they come in con-
tact with the machinery Of education th,t
| they are educated" The Doctor said when
he was boy he bad thought to 20 to coli
| lege was great thing. II didn't make any
| difference what college, iUSt 50 Ii was col
| lCge, and 1t did not make any difference
| what was learned either. Many people
only rub their heads on the college waits,
which operation certainly did not improve
the heads. and added much to the deflcf-
ment Of the walls. [Laughterl lie urged
1
| their diplomas. A diploma was not a
| guarantee 10 success in life. Industry and
! CnCrgy WcIe necessary TO success in life;
| and tie ignorant would succeed better
| Iuan the educated ii the former were IN
| GustrIous and the latter indoent.
DR.. Hatcher was listened TO with earnest
attention.
"PROFEssOR DAVIS.
The next thing on the programme was an
address 10y ID. Webster Davis, a coiored
teacher in Baker school Davis i ready
speaker, and bis speech was indeed credit
able.
GOVERNOR LEE.
The Peabody medals were presented 10y
Governor Lee. Before delivering them he
said:
"Mr. Chairman and Students OF the
Richmond Normal SCHOOL, am here IN
response to a very pressing invitation. be-
cause il j. perhaps my duty to witness the
progress NIrginians make in education,
aud / am glad 10 see such evidences oil
progress and culture"
Governor Lee then dwclt on the import
ance Of doing ones duty, and in this con-
noction referred to himself. Since he had
had his hand on the helm Of the state gov
eminent be had tried 10 do his without
favor or affection for any class or race. But
be insisted that IN order to do his duty
well the people must back him-he did not
mean politically, but together all should
with him Try TO make Virginia all she
should be. She had been grand old stale
in the past and her standard should be kept
up in the future.
The Governor highly cOmpllmented the
progfcss which the colored scholars are
making all over the state, and then ne gave
a brief sketch OF George Peabody, the phi
anthropi.t, who provided the medal, ne
was about 10 present.
In closing Governor Lee presented The
medals and urged the recipients to do their
duty in lie well. 80 that when the final
dsy-the day for which all other days were
madeleine they would be ready TO rcuder
good account Of life on this earth.
HON. J. 7. ELLYsOS.
Mr.. Elly'on presented the dipomIs TO
The graduates Of June and February. He
made brei address, and said the occasion
was one OF rare pleasure, and would be
long remembered by those who were so
fortunate aS TO be present. lie hoped the
Graduates would recollect their teachers,
aud look back upon their school days q,
th.ir happlc>t.
The exercises were closed with a b3ne-
dictIon 10y Rev. l.. II. Boulder.
PEABODY HEDALLIsTs.
The following is list Of the Peabody |
mCGalists:
silver Medal: Florence +. Isham, Of the
Normal School
bronze Medals: Lizzie b. Wills, Junior A. |
No. 9; George Gwathney Junior b, No. Ger !
trude Lawrence, First Grammar Grade ALL |
Of the Normal School
Maggie stephens, ir.i Grammar b, of Baker |
School.
Andrew Green, Second Grammar A, OF Navy |
Hill School
George il. Wes', First Grammar B, Of Valley |
School
DIPLOMA AWARDS.
February, lsSG: Florence +. Isham, Mary B. !
Wilson, Annie h. Cough. Mary V. Holt, Sallie C. |
Young, Mary +. BurWell. Julia A. b. johnson, |
George W. Lawson, Mary NJ. MITCHELL Emmo- |
line Rose, Earle A. Lee, Louise j. Corbin. |
Annie L. Browne. Martha j. Holt, Kate VI. Har- |
ris, Annie n. T.. burrell, William ii. EggesiOn, !
Eva +. heene, Cora Lee Brown, David w. |
PARKER j. Henry Crutchheld, and John ii. |
Brown.
June, 1857: Frank W. Boyd, Fannie Robin
son Julia Priddy, Martha CoOts, Julia Braxton, |
Eliza johnson, Rosa Yancy, Percy Quarss,
Della Hundley, Alice Kemp. Hester LghtfOOt. |
Mollie Turner, Willie White, Maggie Chiles, |
and Ophelia Haskins.
The exercises were interspersed with !
music by violin, comct, organ, and flute.
TEE INSTITUTE MUSICALE.
Closing sOiree of the Session Just